Eve Of Destruction
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: "You're old enough to kill but not for votin'. You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'..." Jodie had some explaining to do about why she left so suddenly. And when she finds Amanda again, can she? (Co-written with Cry-Of-A-Warp-Engine)
1. Unearthed

_**November 5th 2004…**_

 _Amanda, after managing to get cleaned off, taking the garbage bag off of her casted leg and getting dressed, applied a teal pencil eyeliner to her lower lashline to brighten up her eyes in a cat eye style and adding a nice contrast to the black winged eyeliner on her upper lashline before she added shimmery teal eyeliner and a teal mascara to her upper lashes before she closed the tubes and put them away with her concealer, makeup set of eyeshadows and blushes as well as the brushes… and heard a sudden and sharp noise and looked at the window._

 _It was closed… and Amanda turned back to the mirror on her wall and her hazel eyes widened in panic when she saw what was on the mirror._

' _Things happen for a reason, little lady.'_

" _Okay… just seeing things. Or someone's messing around with me." Amanda responded quietly before she grabbed her crutches and headed downstairs._

 _She heard a knock at the door and headed towards it, opening it and seeing 15 year old Dianne before the two hugged._

" _Your dad and sister are gonna be pissed off when they find out that you showed up here by yourself." Amanda responded after they let go and Dianne walked in and closed the door._

" _Yeah but I knew you were getting stir crazy. You spent 3 days in the hospital." Dianne replied._

" _It feels good to be home but… Di, I just don't know how to handle life without Sachael, it's not fair that she's gone." Amanda responded as they sat down, Dianne helping Amanda prop her left leg up on the ottoman._

" _I know it's not fair, kiddo, she was our sister in every way that matters… but we'll never forget her." Dianne replied._

" _Yeah, you're…" Amanda responded before they both shivered as the air went cold in the house._

" _Did the heating go out again?" Dianne asked._

" _I have no idea." Amanda replied before she looked at the window… and her eyes widened again._

' _I'm not where she is but I know she's okay.'_

 _Amanda was frightened… but as she saw Jodie walk in and the two hugged, Amanda was hoping she and Dianne really were just imagining things._

 _Jodie knew Amanda wasn't… but she also didn't know how to explain it to her or Dianne…_

 **Present time** _ **, November 5th 2018…**_

It was early in Manchester, quiet and half past 4 in the morning… but Amanda opened her eyes and knew from the tiny feet kicking at her ribcage that the little boy growing inside of her was showing no signs of calming down even as Finn rested his right hand on Amanda's stomach.

"I don't know what it is but I feel like something's upsetting him." Amanda responded, cringing slightly as Liam's tiny left foot once again slammed into her ribcage.

"It wouldn't be the first time that a young one picked up on…" Finn started to respond, stopping for a moment as if trying to figure something out. If that hadn't been out of place enough, it was more so when he suddenly sat upright looking towards the wall.

"You okay?" Amanda questioned as she carefully sat up.

"Yeah, just… must have been a shadow outside or something." Finn answered as he relaxed a bit. "I was looking at you and something moved over there."

Amanda looked over and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"You remember me telling you about what happened when I was 14?" Amanda asked.

"Around your friend passing?" Finn replied.

"I'd hear things but I thought I was imagining it… and then Jodie would visit me after Sachael's death and things got stranger and stranger and then Jodie left and they stopped. So I had thought it was trauma from losing Sachael… and the noises, the messages, they stopped. Jodie never did tell me but I suspected that she knew what was causing it and didn't want to scare anyone. She might've not known how to explain it." Amanda explained as Finn held her and the two stretched out, careful to keep Liam calm as Amanda rested her left hand below Finn's right one.

"Is he still riled up, love?" Finn asked.

"We're gonna have to keep an eye on him… I have a feeling he might skip crawling and go straight to walking." Amanda responded before they kissed.

The cold air faded back into the warm temperature they set the thermostat at earlier… and the next noise they heard was Dianne knocking on the adjoining door.

"Is everything okay in there?" Dianne asked before Finn helped Amanda sit up and then got up and walked to the adjoining door.

When he opened it, Dianne walked in with a blanket wrapped around her.

"Temperature plunged in your room too?" Amanda replied.

"Same way it did in your family's house 14 years ago." Dianne responded after setting the blanket aside and closing the adjoining door.

"That night was the first of many sleepless nights." Amanda replied.

"You two were just kids who didn't know what the hell was causing the strange occurrences." Finn responded as he sat down next to Amanda and held her close to him… and Dianne saw the dark circles under Amanda's eyes.

"And when Jodie left, things seemed normal… she might be in town." Amanda replied as she tried to get comfortable again, Finn helping her lie down on her left side.

It wasn't long before Amanda gave into exhaustion and was asleep again.

"He won't let her sleep most nights." Finn replied quietly.

"If Liam sensed what's going on, he could've been trying to warn her." Dianne responded.

"That's true, young ones pick up on things whether they're born or unborn." Finn replied.

Dianne nodded and the two friends hugged before Dianne carefully hugged Amanda and left the room… Finn curled up under the covers and gently pulled Amanda into his arms before resting his right hand on Amanda's stomach.

Amanda let out a small noise as Liam's kicks calmed down but stayed sleeping… and Finn lightly kissed Amanda on her forehead.

Given what had happened, they felt like they had every right to keep their growing family safe… but they also sensed that there was no threat to their son.


	2. Hello Again

_**November**_ _ **2nd 2004...**_

" _I just don't get why this guy my brother works with doesn't seem to like me." Amanda responded as they walked on home, both worn down from the long day._

" _Well you did hit him with a steel chair during the summer, Mandy." Sachael replied._

" _It was part of the show, I didn't mean to hurt him." Amanda responded, the girls laughing and Sachael throwing her right arm around the shorter teen._

" _Maybe he's just feeling a little humiliated that someone short kicked his ass, Mandy… he sounds like he holds a grudge over that. Or maybe you just need to get to know Luther better. You might end up working with him one day." Sachael replied._

 _Amanda was about to respond when both girls heard tires screeching loudly and Sachael threw Amanda out of the way to protect her._

 _Amanda's left leg was trapped between the car tire and building and Sachael was pinned down… but she saw the tears start to run down her friend's face._

" _I… I can't feel my leg… Sache… are you okay?" Amanda responded, unable to see properly because of the freshly fallen snow obscuring her vision._

" _I'm okay… we're gonna get out of here, little sis." Sachael replied, before she looked ahead to where the hillside road looked out across the glowing city. "It's… quite a view."_

" _Be… Best seats in the house." Amanda responded, thinking for a moment. "Well… far from the best ones actually."_

 _Sachael laughed slightly at that, stopping as she glanced down and saw what she was glad Amanda couldn't. "Yeah, true. You know… I've always wanted wings." She responded, which caught Amanda's attention._

" _Wanted wings?" Amanda questioned as she blinked to clear her eyesight._

" _I think you'll understand at some point, kiddo… take care of them for me." Sachael replied, closing her eyes midway. "I'm… proud of you… well done, mate."_

 _Amanda's instinct was to call out for help… and the next few hours were blurred to her._

 _She woke up in a room and saw John, who pulled her into his arms… and she knew that Sachael was gone._

 _She looked to see George, who's light hazel eyes were reddened and Amanda and John let go before she and George hugged._

" _I am so sorry." Amanda responded as they looked at each other._

" _It's not your fault, Mandy." George replied._

 _John decided to let the two teens be by themselves… they needed each other now more than ever._

 _When Jodie showed up, she lightly moved the blanket back onto a sleeping Amanda to keep her warm and saw a grey mass of energy over her._

 _Which Jodie knew was Aiden showing that Amanda was heartbroken._

" _I know… it's not fair, Aiden." Jodie whispered as she lightly hugged Amanda, who sleepily responded with a hug of her own. "I'm right here, kiddo. We'll all stick together." She whispered._

 _She often wondered what life would be like if Aiden survived and how Aiden and Amanda would've gotten along…_

 **Present time** _ **, November 5th 2018…**_

Jodie had woken up around 9 in the morning and saw a message written on her mirror… and knew it was Aiden.

' _Mandy's here but she's not alone.'_

"Good because I have some explaining to do as well as apologising for leaving 14 years ago." Jodie responded.

Amanda had gotten ready after she finished eating and had taken one of her prenatal vitamins, readjusting the grey cold shoulder turtleneck top she had on after applying her makeup in a mostly natural look except for a black and teal double winged eyeliner look and teal mascara on her upper lashes… and cringing slightly as she felt Finn's hands rest on her ribcage.

"Sorry…" Amanda responded as she readjusted her black scarf and zipped up her black coat.

"Don't apologise, love, you're just sore there. Are you sure you want two more after he's born?" Finn replied before they kissed, Amanda laughing slightly.

"I think waiting til he's about 2 or 3 sounds good before we try again… but three is a good number of children." Amanda responded.

"Or four." Finn replied as they held each other.

"Four kids? With a bunch of mini versions of us, I don't think we'll live to see retirement… and one of them could very well go into the business like I did when I was 15." Amanda responded.

"We'll help them learn everything about the business we grew up in, love." Finn replied before they kissed again.

At the O2 Arena, Amanda got comfortable again as she ate… and had _The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald_ by Gordon Lightfoot playing through her earbuds.

She read the script and heard a knock at the door… and carefully stood up, walking to the door after shutting off Spotify and setting her phone and earbuds aside.

Amanda opened the door and saw Dean... before she let him in.

"Look, I'm sorry I've been a jerk to you, kiddo." Dean responded after Amanda closed the door.

"Jerk doesn't even begin to describe how you've been on camera to me and Seth… and even bringing up Roman's leukemia on Tv, his younger kids don't know why Uncle Dean is acting like that. And Sylvia's not happy with you either." Amanda replied, resting her right hand on her stomach as Liam kicked to get her attention and Dean saw a tiny outline of Liam's left foot.

"I guess the little guy thinks his Uncle Dean is a jerk too." Dean responded before he rested his left hand below Amanda's. "Hey, little man… I really am sorry I upset your mom. And next time, please don't kick her so hard… give your mom a break every now and then. And I'll try not to hover over her so much." He replied… and Amanda softened a bit before they hugged for a few seconds and Dean got her to sit down at the same time Finn walked in.

"Try not to? You're not the only one but I wouldn't change it." Amanda responded before she and Finn kissed and his right hand rested below hers. "Corbin in his office? I need to talk to him." She replied.

"Is he trying to delay her going on leave?" Dean questioned.

"I went there to talk… and things escalated a bit." Finn explained, revealing his bandaged hands and Amanda knew what her husband had done.

Baron was in the trainer's room getting looked over, his right arm wrapped around his bruising ribcage and him leaning against the wall to stay sitting up.

He didn't expect the door to open but when he looked up, he saw Jodie.

"Ouch…" Jodie responded.

"Yeah, now's not a good time to ask questions, Miss…" Baron replied.

"Holmes… and I'm sorry but this can't wait. Have you seen a woman around here? She's about 28, shoulder length curly brown hair, 5'1"? She's an old friend of mine." Jodie responded.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into Mandy's husband. Third locker room in the Western hallway." Baron answered, Jodie leaving… and hearing a low, aggravated noise.

"I know, I'm not liking the anger I sensed off of him either." Jodie replied in a low tone as she knew it was Aiden.

She reached the locker room and knocked on its door… and it opened.

Jodie's eyes widened as did Amanda's… and the two hugged each other.

Jodie yelped as she felt a hard blow to her side and they let go, Jodie lightly rubbing Amanda's stomach as Liam kicked.

"Sorry… very active little baby." Amanda replied as they smiled.

"It's alright, kiddo." Jodie responded before she saw Finn. "You must be her husband… good job on putting that asshat in the trainer's office." She replied.

"Thanks. He had it coming to him, he's been horrible to Mandy and Liam." Finn explained.

"You two are having a little boy?" Jodie asked.

"Yep, sometime in early February." Amanda responded as Dianne stopped and walked over, her and Jodie hugging.

Jodie was happy to have her old friends back.


End file.
